Throughout the year, there are different meteor showers that all have different properties and can be more or less easy to spot. During October, it's time for the Orionids, one of the best known meteor showers and also the most reliable.
Ben Paxton from The Institute for Government explains the process for calling the next General Election The prime minister can call the next general election any time between now and 17 December 2024. The 17 December 2024 is exactly five years since parliament first met after the last general election, in 2019.
Sellafield Ltd's UAV team is celebrating after winning a Nuclear Manufacturing Award and being shortlisted for two Engineering and Manufacturing Awards. The team that manages Sellafield's fleet of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has been recognised for their work this week after winning an award for innovation at the first ever Nuclear Manufacturing Awards.
Why are so many politicians reluctant to discuss the excess death question..
UK military personnel from all three services have taken part in a major joint exercise in Southeast Asia this week, strengthening ties with military partners crucial to upholding stability in the region. Taking place 7,000 miles from the UK in Malaysia, the three-week exercise saw joint activity including combat air simulations, jungle warfare training, beach landings and coordinated naval gunfire support.
New inflation statistics for the UK were released this week showing that prices rose by 6.7 percent in the year to September 2023, the same rate as August 2023. Expectations were for the rate to fall slightly, and this apparent stickiness will no doubt fuel concerns about the extent to which inflation has become embedded within the economy (where price rises lead to upward pressure on wages, which has to be funded by price rises, and so on and so forth).
Over 1,600 arrests during county lines crackdown in national police operation last week, with over 100kg cannabis and £1.2 million of Class A drugs seized. Drug gangs across the UK were targeted in a national police operation last week, leading to 250 county lines being taken down and 1,613 arrests.
Finally the excess death issue will be debated in parliament. To watch the debate on 20 October go to https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Commons Then go to https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/00961342-e42c-431c-b26b-fda858dba69b Andrew Bridgen debate stats at 14.32 Cut short due to the time rules.
Mairi Spowage and Joao Sousa from the Fraser of Allender Institute look at aspects of the SNP proposals for council tax freeze, NHS Cash and Bonds. Big political announcements but do they stack up?.
Following the high winds forecast and experienced this week due to Storm Babet, The Highland Council is encouraging landowners to check trees and vegetation near to public roads which may have been damaged. Landowners are also asked to check the drainage from their property that it is not blocked and overflowing onto public roads.
Priority actions to deepen and strengthen co-operation between the Scottish Government and business have been unveiled. A new implementation plan details how recommendations from the New Deal for Business Group will be taken forward over the next 18 months to improve policy preparation and delivery and build a wellbeing economy.
Presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 8 of the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 - October 2023. The focus of this year's Forecast evaluation report (FER) is the performance of our forecasts for the financial year 2022-23.
This paper, part of the Economy 2030 Inquiry, tackles the key question of how to futureproof the UK's macroeconomic policy framework. Looking beyond the immediate policy challenge of high inflation, it focuses on whether the current framework - largely set during the calmer economic times of the 1990s - is still fit for purpose.
The last set of public sector finance data to be included in the Office for Budget Responsibility's Autumn Statement forecasts shows that borrowing is already close to £20 billion below the OBR's previous forecast this year, but the impact of higher interest rates will worsen the medium-term fiscal outlook, the Resolution Foundation said today (Friday 20 October 2023) Borrowing was £81.7 billion during the first six months of the financial year - £19.8 billion below the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast at the March Budget. Lower borrowing was driven by higher tax revenues, which were £14.7 billion above forecast, largely due to PAYE, NICs and VAT receipts.
Britain's macroeconomic policy framework is largely unchanged since the 1990s, and now needs an overhaul to tackle the risk of an unsustainable ratcheting up of debt that will hamper its ability to respond to economic shocks or fund public services, the Resolution Foundation said on Thursday 19 October 2023. Built to last - the 46th report from The Economy 2030 Inquiry, funded by the Nuffield Foundation - notes that several ‘once-in-a-lifetime' economic crises over the past 15 years, coupled with weak growth in between, has left the UK with fast rising debt levels.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Retail sales volumes fell by an estimated 0.9% in September, following a 0.4% rise in August. Sales volumes are down 0.8% in the three months to September 2023 compared to the previous three months, although the value of those sales are up 0.3%.
More scam adverts have been reported this week, with more well-known brands being impersonated in social media adverts. One consumer clicked on an advert on Facebook purportedly for fashion retailer Bonmarche.
ScotRail is warning customers of significant disruption to services, following the Met Office red and amber weather warnings for heavy rain and high winds. Storm Babet is forecast to bring exceptionally wet conditions across parts of eastern Scotland on Thursday and Friday (19 and 20 October 2023), with very strong winds in the northern half of the country.
Planning is underway ahead of another challenging few days of severe weather across much of Scotland. Heavy downpours and severe winds are forecast for much of central and northern Scotland from Thursday morning through to Saturday night.
